High vacuum, low temperature drying apparatus



Jan. 12, 1943. iRElcHEL- 2,307,802

HIGH VACUUM, LOW TEMPERATURE, DRYING APPARATUS Filed June 24,, 1941 INVENTOR JOHN REICHEL BY M Patented Jan. 12, 1943 HIGH VACUUM, LOW TEMPERATURE DRYING APPARATUS John Reichel, Wynnewood, Pa., assignor to Reichel Laboratories, Kimberton, Pa., :1. firm composed of John Reichel and Hollis Wolstenhohne Application June 24, 1941, Serial No. 399,449

4 Claims. (01. so-rs) In the preservation of sera, plasma, proteins or other substances for future use, it is necessary that the substances be as completely dried as possible, that this drying be uniform, that the physical sti=ucture-whether crystalline or amorphous-be not changed and that the chemical reactions be not interfered with, or, in the event that the product is a bacteriological culture or a virus or the like, its efiectiveness be not in any way altered. The most recent and advanced method for accomplishing these objects consists in pre-freezing the material to be dried and then submitting the frozen mass to a high degree of vacuum in the presence of regulated heat,.whereby the water of the frozen mass is Sublimated while the mass is still at a temperature well below the freezing point.

My invention therefore relates to a novel selfcontained, portable, high vacuum, low temperature drying apparatus which, I have found in actual practice, is capable of efliciently and expeditiously carrying out the objects briefly outlined above, it being understood that, while by way of illustration I refer to sera, plasma, proteins and similar substances, my apparatus is not, limited to the drying of these substances only, but is equally applicable to the drying of other substances as well.

bodying' my invention, the drawing showing only the parts necessary suflicieritly to illustrate the invention to enable it to be used by those skilled in the art.

Referring to the drawing in whi ch like reie'r-.

ence characters indicate like parts, 2. designates any suitable container or box the walls of which are suitably insulated against heat transmission. The box 2 is provided, in the top 4, with a suitable opening -through which may be inserted the receptaclelli. The receptacle 6 may be made of glass, metal or any other desired substance, and is preferably dome or bell shaped. Within. the

. box 2 is suitably secured the supporting ring 8 In my co-pending application Serial No.

386,878, filed April 4, 1941, entitled High vacuum low temperature drying apparatus there is dis--.

closed a practical and eilicient construction capable of attaining the objects outlined and it is'therefore a further object of the present in vention greatly to simplify the construction and to standardize the manufacture of the parts thereof in order greatly to reduce the cost of production and greatly to facilitate the assembly which is adapted to engage and support the receptacle 6; The inner rim of the ring 8 is preferably provided with the gasket l0 so as to form an airtight junction with the wall of the receptacle 6. Below the ring 8 is positioned a refrigerating coil l2 which is connected through the inlet 14 and the outlet IE to a refrigerating mechanism not shown. Instead of the refrigerating coil 12 it is within the scope of my invention to utilize natural ice or frozen CO2 which will be placedin the compartment I8. 20 designates a drain controlled by a suitable valve and through which moisture which may collect on the coil l2, or the water from the natural ice if the latter is used, or the, vapor from the CO2 if the latter is used, may be discharged. 22 designates a .plate having the annular groove 24 in which is positioned the gasket 26. As seen from the drawing, the plate 22 is adapted to seat on the rim and manipulation of the apparatus by the operator in the field.

Still more specifically it is a further object of this invention to produce an extremely compact apparatus and one which can easily be assembled and packed for shipment.

A still further object is to make the component parts of my novel apparatus completely interchangeable as far as practicable so that, in

the event of breakage, the parts canbe replaced 7 from standard stock without the necessity of special designs or special specifications. Other features of construction and advantage of my nove1 apparatus will be more clearly understood from the following specification and the accompany drawing which represents a verof the receptacle 6 to form a closure for the top thereof. The plate .22 is also provided with the 'fittingf28 which is controlled by the petcock'llll.

32 designates'a pipe secured to the plate 22 in an airtight. manner and projecting therethrough as at 34 so as to extend within the receptacle 6 when theplate 22 is assembled as shown in the drawing. The pipe 32 is also controlled by the petcock 3B and is likewise secured to another plate 38 through which it extends as at. The plate 38 is also provided with the annular groove 42 which has the gasket 44 on 'which is adapted to seat the receptacle 46 which is identical with the receptacle 6 in shape and size. The plate 38:

is also provided with a fitting 48 controlled by the petcock 50, the fitting 48 being identical with the fitting 28. The plates 22 and 38 are provided with the recesses 52 which are adapted to receive bottles or the like- 54 containing the material to be treated. The receptacles 6 and 4.6 are provided with identical, combined pressure gage tical cross sectional view of an apparatus em- 55 and handle 56.

, The operation is as follows:

The box 2, withthe refrigerating coil i2 or the frozen CO3, or other refrigerating element-such as natural ice. liquid air, brine or the like, is

' placed in position and then the receptacle I is mounted on the ring 8 as shown. The preassembled pipe 22 and upper and lower plates 38 and 22 are then placed in position, it being immaterial .whether the plate 22 or the plate 28 seats upon the rim of the lower container 6. The upper concocks 20 and 26 open, the suction apparatus isoperated so as to create a vacuum within the container 6 and hence through the conduit 32 and within the upper receptacle-46. Thisserves to dry the contents of the bottles or the like 54 and. in order to prevent any moisture extracted from plates carried thereby, a pair .of identical open the contents of the bottles 54 from reaching the vacuum-creating apparatus, I provide the coil or other cooling medium I! which causes the moisture content to condense in the receptacle 6; If

it is desired to maintain the vacuum within the container 48- even after the suction apparatus is out of operation, it is merely necessary to close the petcock 26. likewise, after-the drying operation is completed and it is desired to remove the inverted container 48 from the upper plate 18, it

is merely necessary to open the petcock 50 thereby allowing air to enter through the fitting l8.

The plates 28 and 22 are preferably provided with I heating elements as shown in my copending application above referred to sothat whichever plate is serving to support the material to be dried, may be connected to a source oi electrical energy in order to deliver controlled heat as may be desirable. or n.. Since this 188110 in my copending application I deemed it unn to illustrate it in detail in the present application,

tical containers 6 and 48 which may be interchangeably used, the pipe 82 integrated with the upper and lower plates 22 and II which also has no upper or lower end and the box 2 which serves as a support for the entire apparatus and which also contains the refrigerant. The advantage of flaconstructionofthischaracterwillbereadily ppreciated when it is considered that an-appa-' r'atus or this-kind would be a necessity in the; various encampments of our expanding national army and, for that matter; in proximity to or im-' .mediately behind the battle fleld itself where claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A high vacuum, low temperature drying apparatus comprising a conduit, a pair of spaced ended receptacles, the opposite faces of said plates being provided with identical grooves for engaging the rims of'the open ends of said receptacles. fittings carried bythe juxtaposed fades of said plates and adapted to be connected to a source of suction or to the atmosphere selectively and at will, and a refrigerating chamber adapted to enclose at least a portion of one of said receptacles.

2. A high vacuum, low temperature drying apparatus comprising a vertically disposed conduit, a pair of horizontally dispos'ed spaced plates carried thereby, a pair of identical but oppositely disposed bell-shaped receptacles, the opposite faces of said plates being provided with identical annular grooves for engaging the corresponding shaped rims of said receptacles, fittings carried by the juxtaposed faces of said plates and adapted to be connected to a source of suction or to the atmosphere selectively and at will, and a refrigerating chamber for supporting and enclosing at least a portion of one of said receptacles.

3. A high vacuum, low temperature drying apparatus comprising a refrigerating chamber, a receptacle, means detachably for supporting said receptacle within said chamber, a plate having a.

, tacles and means connecting the interior of either ofsaid receptacles to a source of suction or to the atmosphere selectively and at will.

4. A high vacuum, low temperature drying apparatus comprising a refrigerating chamber, a lower receptacle adapted to serve as a condenser compartment, means for detachably supporting said receptacle within said refrigerating chamber, a lower supporting plate having a groove in the lower face'thereof for engaging the rim of said receptacle, an upper supporting plate having a groove in the upper face thereof, an upper inverted receptacle adapted to serve as a drying chamber andhaving its rim seatedinsaidgroove in said upper plate; a valved conduit interconnecting said plates and establishing communication between the interiors of said upper and lower receptacles, said receptacles being identical and interchangeably usable, andmeans for connecting the interior of either of said receptacles. to a source ofsuction or to the atmosphere and at will.

JOHN 

